(i) Technical Field
The present invention relates to a reaction method using a microreactor, and a microreactor.
(ii) Background Art
Recently, the development of a new manufacturing process using a micro vessel called a micromixer or a microreactor has been underway in the chemical industry and the pharmaceutical industry relating to the manufacture of medicines, reagents, etc. A microchannel connecting to a plurality of microchannels (fluid inlet channels) is provided in the micromixer or the microreactor. As a plurality of fluids (e.g., solutions in which reaction materials are dissolved) are converged into the microchannel, the plurality of fluids are mixed in the microchannel, or a chemical reaction is caused in conjunction with mixing. Micromixers and microreactors are common in terms of their basic structures. In some particular cases, however, those in which a plurality of fluids are mixed with each other are referred to as “micromixers,” while those in which the mixing of a plurality of solutions is accompanied by a chemical reaction are referred to as microreactors.
In the microreactor, devices and reaction mechanisms are miniaturized as compared with conventional systems. Therefore, to subject a plurality of fluids to chemical reaction efficiently in a microchannel, development and research are conducted to increase the reaction surface area per unit volume of a specimen. By increasing the reaction surface area per unit volume of the specimen, it is possible to substantially reduce the reaction time and the amounts of specimens and reagents required for reaction and analysis.